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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24247387">Stay Gold, Michael Boy!</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account'>orphan_account</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>FAHC, Fake AH Crew, GTA 5 AU, Gen, Letters, Mention of Michael/Lindsay/Gavin, Mention of Ray, Origin Story, Racing, birthday gift, parent dynamics</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-20 06:42:11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,584</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24247387</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Michael's entry to the crew, and his development into the crew's "golden boy"</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Michael Jones &amp; Geoff Ramsey, Michael Jones &amp; Jack Pattillo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Stay Gold, Michael Boy!</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>As the crew was taking its start, Geoff often traveled, spending his time between the Roosters in Austin and being in Los Santos, this often left Jack to her own devices. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jack is often the one to run errands, partaking in the occasional pleasure of a race when Geoff isn’t looking. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She’s at a red light one warm, August night, and the only person next to her is a man in a chocolate brown, beat up sports car. The red of the street lights reflecting off of it, partially illuminating the driver under the darkness of night</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The driver in the chocolate car revs their engine, Jack revs back, the universal indication of a street race sends blood pumping through Jack’s veins and a devilish smile crosses her face.  The moment the light changes they’re off, racing down the street at breakneck speed, the reflection of the lights bouncing off their hoods and the smell of frictioned rubber filling the air.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jack is impressed, watching the car drift &amp; slip around her, there’s constant overtakes and trading positions, though Jack knows that her baby is the faster car. Jack is slightly speeding ahead now &amp; the chocolate car reacts quickly drifting left &amp; spinning to push Jack away</span>
</p><p>
  <span>. Jack’s felt her car instantly lose traction, but she spun the wheel desperately anyways, suddenly, the car slammed into a bus stop and chocolate’s car spun around almost perfectly to face her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jack reeled, feeling the bruise the compression of the seat belt left on her ribs, getting out of the car she yelled, “What the fuck is wrong with you? You little shit!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The window rolled down, a pale middle finger and a young man with a big head of red hair leaned out, “I beat ya bitch! See ya next time Beardo!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The car sped off, Jack groaned, hearing her ridiculous license plate she agreed to on a bet. Checking herself, she sighed in anger.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She would get that little shit.</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jack always races to get extra money, and street races are good for money if you win, but even better with bets. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was seen as poor form to bet on yourself in some scenes. Jack couldn’t give a rats ass about her form, her reputation in this town was dirty, and that’s exactly how she liked it.. She bet on herself every race she entered. And she won.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her and chocolate car kid hadn’t crossed paths for a while now, she honestly forgot about him for the most part. This was until one night. On her off time she’d watch a race, usually to gauge her future competitors and place a bet here and there. When the bet runner came up, she was given a list of the color of the car and the last name. Upon looking at the track, she saw the same shitty beater she encountered weeks ago, and given there was only one like it, she bet on BROWN, JONES.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jack watches the race, keeping up with the competition on her moped. She watches the redhead carefully, hearing his violent laugh among the engines.</span>
</p><p>
  <span> He wins, it’s a brutal race. But he wins. Jack gets her money and suddenly she’s showing up for every one of his races, watching in the crowd.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Geoff leaves for another trip in Austin, a meeting with Burnie about some hacker, and Jack plans something Geoff would kill her for. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jack enters the race of a lifetime, one spanning across the entire city, up and down Mount Chiliad. She turns up at the tracks &amp; sees the chocolate car, meaning that boy is in the running too. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sees the same big head of red hair, and mentally yells at him to get a haircut. She watches as he puts in his bet, he turns to see her.  He nods at her slowly, his glance shifting from the bet runner and back to her, then turns back around. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>On instinct, as Jack places her bet she marks down BROWN, JONES. And she goes about her time getting ready for the race.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The race is a go, and for a while Jack doesn’t see Jones’ car at all, she’s leaving people in the dust, her newest tire upgrade serving her well. As time goes on, Jones catches up, speeding past the pack until he’s sitting in second.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jack and the boy trade off, shifting between second and first swimmingly, no effort being made to dethrone one another as the race goes on. </span>
  <span>In contrast, the moment anyone </span>
  <span>got close to either of them Jones would bump them with his car, knocking them off course. Likewise Jack makes the same effort to protect him. Jones is speeding ahead now, and he crosses the finish line in first with Jack close behind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jack collects her betting money, though she doesn’t really see the kid after the race. As her adrenaline begins to fade, all she has on her mind is that chocolate sports car.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She began to drive home now and she noticed how close her car is to being out of gas. She pulled to the nearest gas station and she instantly noticed the chocolate car, along with two purple vehicles blocking him in. Two men in dark hoodies stepped out and Jack saw the flashing of a knife under the glow of the Shells sign. Jack’s eyes widened and she went to get out of her car the same time as the redhead did. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>One of the men yelled, “That was our race to win you motherfucker-you should have thought this through!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jones just chuckled and yelled out with a bitter sense of joy,“Sorry, kicking your ass doesn’t take up much thought to begin with.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The other man growled in anger and charged at the red head, and without warning Jones started swinging, his fist colliding with the man’s jaw with brutal force. Punch after brutal punch, Jack stared in awe and hoped he would win. Unwilling to intervene with his fights, she watched,but she clutched her gun close just in case the moment called for it</span>
</p><p>
  <span>. Jones was spitting blood and laughing like a maniac, a wicked smile across his face. This  moment held true until the other man grabbed him close, catching him by surprise, and stabbing him in the stomach. A feeling of dread and anger washed over her, and without hesitation Jack whipped out her gun and shot both men in the head. Without taking a breath, she ran to the red head as he fell to his knees. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jones gives her a bloody smile and mumbles out, “Sup Beardo?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jack sighs, mostly out of stress, and goes to pick him up, “We need to go. Right now.”</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eight hours and one hospital visit later, Geoff comes home to Jack sitting at the kitchen counter spinning a spoon in her coffee nervously. When he walks up, Jack stands up and tries to talk but Geoff shakes her off with an exhausted yawn, “I’ve been driving all night dude I’m gonna get some shut eye.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jack tries to stop him but Geoff walks into his room anyways. Instead of a nice empty bed, sees a mop of red hair and pale skin curled on top of the comforter. Geoff turns back to the kitchen and stares at Jack with as much confusion a tired man can muster.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jack gives him a sheepish grin and says, “His name is Michael-him and I race together-he uh- got hurt.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Geoff just groans and goes to sleep on the couch. </span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>In the morning Michael wakes up to the smell of coffee and pancakes as well as a quiet argument in the kitchen, to voices, one feminine and kind and one masculine and tired.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s good Geoff, you should have seen him punch those Vagos fuckers.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s kind of a safety risk letting some random kid in!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Says the guy welcoming the kid who hacked into the Rooster’s servers with open arms.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jack come on-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let him stay Geoff, if he wants to that is.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Michael groaned, vaguely, he remembered the hospital and the red headed woman holding his hand, but it's pretty blurry after that. Patting his abdomen, he feels bandages; oh yeah, he got stabbed last night. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Michael dragged himself into the kitchen as the argument petered out and the woman smiled, “Sit down. We’re eating breakfast.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So Michael sat carefully, grateful for the warm food on his plate, but wary of the duo in front of him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Michael watched as the red head elbows the man an black, and he sighs as he speaks, “I’m Geoff kid, it’s nice to meet you or whatever.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jack rolls her eyes and Michael just shrugs in response, “I’m Michael, and I’m not a kid.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Geoff chuckles and points at him, “Jesus kid, you have one hell of an accent, where are you from? And are you sure you aren’t a kid? You have one hell of a baby face.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Michael’s brows furrow, “I’m from Jersey, and I’m 22 jerkoff.”</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>From there, Michael is a useful resource and beloved within the group, serving as the early on wild card to their operation. He could fight and were Geoff and Jack grateful. Despite Geoff’s rocky introduction to the man, Michael serves as a protective and loyal friend to everyone in the crew. Especially with Gavin in the mix, Geoff feels a bit of fatherly relief when he saw the two hit it off so well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When desperate times came calling it was Michael who knew an excellent shot from New York, and slowly but surely, Michael adapted from a dangerous, unpredictable wildcard into a structured, hardworking powerhouse. Michael kept the crew safe in several ways both on the offensive and defensive fronts, and as time went on, Michael began to serve in the same mentoring role Jack served for him so long ago. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Michael was never the lovey type, when it came to Lindsay and Gavin, they were relationships based on respect and admiration first, and then the feelings of love began to flourish. Michael did know one thing for certain, his love for Jack and for Geoff was special. He wasn’t used to this closeness, the feeling of being able to look up to someone and admire them in a role model way, but he took it in stride, holding his gratefulness deep inside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The night before his 25th birthday, Geoff handed Michael a set of keys, he was smiling like an absolute fool, and Michael had a feeling he was about to hear something incredibly dumb.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go visit the air field tomorrow buddy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Michael grinned, “What, you got a job for me?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Geoff swayed a bit, “Nope-it’s a gift, take it as an appreciation from your mom and me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Michael shook his head, “Jack isn’t my mom Geoff, you aren’t my dad either.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Geoff chuckled, “Ah whatever you know what I mean-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Geoff began to walk away, before turning, “Oh and uh-stay gold Michael Boy!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Michael turned his head, “Isn’t it Pony Boy?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Geoff stared at him in disbelief, “You read that book??”</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Michael arrived at the airfield and threw open the hanger, he stood there shocked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In front of him, was a jet that shined like gold.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stared at the keys in his palm, and then walked up to it carefully. Seeing something this nice was off putting in a way, he’d seen shit like this in movies but-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>This was his?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stepped inside, the clean dark wood interior and the bottle of champagne instantly caught his eye. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Walking to the cockpit, he noticed an envelope on the wheel.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sat down in the pilot's seat, before gently ripping the edge of the paper and pulling out two folded letters.</span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Michael,</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>When we brought you in we didn’t know what to expect of you. To put it plain and simple, the first time I saw you fight someone I accepted that you could probably snap me in half, and I was your boss at the time. Everything you’ve done for the crew has turned us into what we are today, if it weren’t for you, we’d probably all be six feet under. I’m talking up your ability here, but there’s so much more to you than fists, bombs, and a good trigger finger.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You’re loyal Michael, I’ve seen you dive into action to protect every single one of us. You’re demeanor aside, you show the amount you care every time you bitch and clean the living room, every time you drag Gavin away from the computer and put him to bed, every time you try to secretly sneak affection with Lindsay during meetings. Through everything you do, you’ve shown your strength and ability to fight for us, and your dedication means more than you’ll ever know. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I know a plane isn’t a good representation of my appreciation for you, it’s material shit, I know, but I hope it can show an ounce of my appreciation.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Your Beloved “Boss”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>~Geoff</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>My Dearest Michael,</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>From the moment I met you, you were a pain in the ass. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I’m joking, obviously, you’ve always served as an important member to all of us here, but I’m sure Geoff already talked about that in his letter. Instead, I want to tell you what you mean to me.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>When we first met, I thought you were an angry little shit with an annoying mop of red hair and a Jersey accent, but first impressions never really matter anyways. You brought something out in me, a fire of competitiveness I hadn’t experienced in years. You bring fire to the race track, and I wouldn’t want to race anymore  without my betting buddy by my side.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>On an emotional level, you’ve always sort of been my kid. I know, you’ll deny it for days on end, but you’re gonna be my kid until the day I die. I remember when I brought you to the hospital and held your hand; you acted like I was some powerful angel as they filled you with morphine. I remember dragging you to the eye doctor, watching the light in your eyes as we drove around at night when the glasses came in, and the excitement in your voice as you read each road sign. I remember teaching you how to tie a tie right before your first date with Lindsay. I remember every heist, and seeing the look of relief and anxiousness in your eyes after everything was said and done, counting heads to make sure all of us were okay. These are moments I treasure Michael, because behind the anger, the violence, and the badassery that makes up Michael Jones, I still feel this parently attachment I’ll never really lose.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>A jet isn’t worthy of my honest and true feelings for you, but hey, we’re criminals, so that means instead of affection and a cutesy birthday cake you get a big ass gold jet. Fly it with pride, just like I taught you.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You’ll always be my golden boy.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Sincerely Yours,</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Jack</span>
  </em>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Michael pushed his glasses up, rubbing his eyes from the stray wetness running down his cheeks, carefully, he folded up the letters, slipping them on the inside of his leather jacket pocket. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Michael smiled, running his hands against the steering wheel.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Golden boy-huh..”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Michael gripped the wheel, a wide wicked grin coming across his face, a feeling of warmth rising deep in his chest,</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Guess I better take her for a spin."</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This started as an analysis on Michael being the beloved, trusted leader the crew came to love and trust, and him being the golden boy in the sense of being the most loved in a very parental way.</p><p>Some references for the road:</p><p>1: The chocolate car is in refrence to the phone Michael had when he first came to Austin: an LG Chocolate</p><p>2: The closeness between Jack and Michael, and Jack being the one to bring Michael into the crew is directly connected to how Michael got his start at RT, Jack saw Michael's Crackdown video and reached out, and with that, Michael lived with Jack for some time.</p><p>3: The gold jet is a direct reference to the Gold Jet Geoff gifted to Michael in GTA for his birthday, which cost him 100 real life dollars</p><p>4: The title and the dialogue between Michael and Geoff is a reference to The Outsiders</p><p>and finally 5: The story about the glasses in Jack's letter is factual, as Jack was the one who made Michael go to the optometrist after he noticed how much Michael leaned into the screen at work and at home.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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